Grain-meter



(NoModel.)

MCGLELLAN COWAN 8v J. G. RAGAINS.

GRAIN METER.

Patented June 21, 1892.

fn ren ZL@l rs,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

- MCCLELLAN COVAN AND JAMES G. RAGAINS, OF lVlCHITA, KANSAS.

GRAIN-METER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 477,245, dated June 21,1892.

Application filed May l5, 1891. Serial No. 392,859. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom. t may conoci/'71,:

Be it known that we, MCCLELLAN CowAN and JAMES G. RAGAINS, citizens ofthe United States of America, residing at Wichita, in the county ofSedgwick and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Grain-Meters, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings and thc 1ctterso f reference thereon, forming a part of this specification, in which-Figure l is a side elevation of the meter; Fig. 2, a horizontal sectionthereof on line l of Fig. l; Fig. 3, a similar section on line 2 of Fig.l. Figa-l is a vertical cross-section of the meter, represented with itsparts in position to receive the grain which is to be weighed; and Fig.5 is a like section representing the parts in position as whendischarging the weighed grain from the meter.

This invention relates to certain improvements in a machine for weighinggrain or any substance adapted to pass through the machine in a likemanner, which class'of machines is commonly known as grain-meters 5 andit consists of a vertical frame supporting a hopper at its upperportion, of a grain receiving and Weighing receptacle suspended belowthe hopper by means of a forked and pivoted weigh-beam, ofdownwardly-opening doors in the bottom of said hopper and receptacle,and of the particular mechanism for opening and closing said doors andlocking them closed, which improvements are fully set forth in thefollowing specification, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, P represents a set of four posts connectedtogether at suitable intervals by means of cross-bars, as shown, andprovided at their lower portions with the open-bottom inclosure H.

A is a hopper supported by means of and within said posts inclosure,which hopper has arranged therein a pair of opposite downwardly-openingdoors a, hinged to the side walls, as shown at I I, each door beingprovided with an arm a', extending one to each side of the machinethrough openings in the side walls of the hopper. Said doors are adaptedto assume two given positions-one when open, as represented in Fig. 4l,when grain entering the hopper will pass through and into the receptaclebelow, and one when closed, as represented in Fig. 5, when grainentering the hopper will be retained therein. As a means of preventingsaid doors opening too far the stops g g are provided, secured to thewalls of the hopper, which are engaged by the end portions of the doors,and as a means of preventing the doors moving too far up when closingthey are made to register with each other before they assume ahorizontal position, as shown in Fig. 5. Also within said hopper, belowthe end portions of said doors, is arranged a pair of opposite inclinedslats G, which extend a short distance toward the hopper center tolessen the arca of its bottom opening, so that said opening will besmaller than the receptacle below; but said slats are not essential andmay be omitted. D represents said receptacle and is suspended below saidhopper within the space between the posts P by means of the forked endof the weigh-beam B through the agency of a pair of opposite arms ortrunnions c of the upper side portions of said receptacle, which arms ortrunnions rest in holes of said forked portions B B of said beam, and inturn said beam is pivotally supported by means of a pair of fixed studsc o', arranged in a pair of opposite holes of the forks of said beam, asshown, and the lower portion of the receptacle is prevented from swayingsidewise by means of a set of four links S, one link being arranged ateach side, secured by means of loosely-fitted pivots at one end to thereceptacle side and at its opposite end to a post P, as shown in Fig. 3.The bottom of said receptacle is provided with a pair ofoppositely-arranged doors D', hinged to the receptacle side walls, asshown at 7i h, and are each provided with a side extending arm c, one ateach side of the machine, which arms are respectively connected with aneye-lug e of the receptacle side walls above said bottoni doors throughthe agency of the toggle-joints T T, one at each side of the machine, asshown, which toggles when straight hold said doors locked closed andwhen thrown at their joint permit said doors to open downwardly by theirgravity. The movement of the receptacle during operation is vertical,being weighed down when it has been filled with grain, and when thegrain has been discharged IOO it again assumesits highest position bymeans of the weight of the weigh-beam.

F represents wheels supported by means of extending bracket-bearings,which are fixed to a cross-bar ot the machine, one at each side of themachine, respectively, above the arms E of the receptacle-doors andadjacent the inner side of the toggles, and are for the purpose ofopening and closing the said receptacle-doors by pressing the togglesoutward by means of the engagement therewith as the receptacle lowers,which will permit the doors D to open, as shown in Fig. 5, and by heingengaged by the door-arms E, which will hold said arms, causing them toturn on theirhinges (of the doors) when the receptacle rises, thuscausing said doorsD to close and the toggles to straighten, therebylockin g the doors, and as a means of insuring positiveness in themovement in straightening the toggles a cross-rod fixed to the postsand, as shown at T', at each side of the machine is provided, underwhich the upper joints of the toggles pass as the receptacle nears itsup position, which cross-rods positively force said toggles into theirstraight position, if not otherwise caused to assume such position.

R represents rods, one at each side of the machine, having an eye formedat their lower ends, respectively sleeved on the arms or tru nnions c ofthe receptacle at the outer ends of said arms, and are arranged,respectively, at their upper end portions through holes of thehopper-arms d', and are screw-threaded at their upper end, and haveturned thereon a nut R (on each rod) or provided otherwise with anenlargement at that place to serve as a stop, and when the receptacle isup and the hopper-doors open said nuts or enlargements will be a littleabove said arms of the hopper-doors, and as the receptacle lowers underweight ot the grain therein said rods will be carried down with it andduring their tirstpart movement will move tree; but when the nuts R orenlargements thereof engage arms a said arms will likewise be carrieddown at their outer ends, which will cause the hopperdoors to close, andthereby prevent more grain entering the receptacle until the quantitycontained therein has been discharged, and when said door-arms havereached such position to close their doors they are caught and retainedby means of a gravity-latch, a latch at each side of the machine, asshown at L, which latches are each provided at their lower end withcurved portions extending downward at an angle across the path of theextending arms c of the receptacle and are weighted at such end, so theywill operate by gravity to cause them to engage and hold the hopperdoorarms when the receptacle has moved downto bring its arms c fromengagement with said curved latch portions, and by means of said curvedportions of said latches they are operated to disen gage said door-armswhen the receptacle moves up by means of said receptacle-arms c againengaging and moving to one side said lower portions of the latches,which will correspondinglybut reversely move their upper portions, andby means of such described mechanism the doors of thehopper and those ofthe receptacle are operated alternately, so that during the time thereceptacle is being filled the hopper is open at its bottom to permitgrain to pass through it, and during the time the receptacle isdischarging said hopper-doors are closed to hold the grain.

A distance to one side ot the meter-frame is arranged a pair of parallelvertical bars .l a little distance apart, which are supported by meansof braces y, y', and 0, as shown, which bars inclose and form a guidefor the outer end portion of the weigh-beam B.

(l is a weight-lever fulcrumed to one side of one bar J and is arrangedto extend horizontally in the direction of the Weigh-beam, and isprovided with a shouldered portion o', resting against a correspondingshoulder ot said bar J, which holds it in such extending position, andis provided with a series of holes along its length, into which at somegiven point aweight (Z2 is attachcd,and above its fulcrum it is furtherprovided with a latch-arm d', likewise extending in the same direction.

V represents a standard fixed to the end otl the weigh-beam and isarranged vertically and is provided with a laterally-extending arm n,screw-threaded at its end portion,and has pivotally secured to its upperend a depending latch-arm Z, whichis provided with a hole through whichthe arm n passes, and sleeved on said arm n is a coil-spring t, giventension by means ot' a nut turned on the arm mwhich spring yieldinglyholds the lower end ot the said latch-arm toward the standard V. Thelower end of the latch-arm Z is provided with a laterally-extendingportion Z', which when the weigh-beam comes down from an elevatedposition engages the end portion of the lever-arm d', which is madebeveled, and rides down the beveled end of said lever-arm and passesbelowit by means of compressing the spring t, Vhen in such position,which is represented in Fig. l, the receptacle is up and the weigh-beamhas its sliding weightl2 adjusted for properly weighing the kind ofgrain entered into the meter, and as the receptacle becomes partiallylled it overcomes the weigh-beam weight B2 and causes the said beam tomove up at its outer end until the depending latch portion Z engagesunder the end of the lever-arm Z,where it is held until the properweight of grain has entered the receptacle, when the lever-weight cl2will be overcome and permit its lever and the arm d to rise at theirend, which permits the weigh-beam latch to pass'said arm (Z2 and freethe weigh-beam of said outer weight, and as the weigh-beam becomes thusfreed it is much lighter than the receptacle and the grain therein, andthe receptacle will therefore lower the remainder of its distance withsufficient speed and force to properly open its doors and IOO IIO

IIS

close the hopper-doors, and when the bottom doors are open the grain isdischarged quickly, which lightens the receptacle so quickly that theweigh-beam and its weight B2, which is then much heavier than the emptyreceptacle, will speedily and with force raise the receptacle and bysuch force close its doors and open those of the hopper, thus givingforce to each movement and making the machine automatic.

` "As a means of registering the grain as it is weighed by the meter alever, as shown at m, is fulcrumed to one post P in such manner `thatone end thereof rests under one arm c of -thefreceptacle, while itsopposite end extends from the machine, where it is provided with a rodm', which is designed to be connected to a registering device, which isnot necessary to be shown, as it in itself is common and forms no partof this invention. By means of such lever the actuation of thereceptacle is utilized to register each down movement, and therebyautomatically tally each discharge of grain.

In use the meter is placed to receive grain from an elevator-spout orother spout and with its bottom inclosure over a bin or otherreceptacle, or it may be connected with a spout so that the grainweighed may pass either into such bin or receptacle or pass on throughthe attached spout; also, the meter may be arranged intersecting agrain-spout or passage, and thereby weigh and register the grain as itpasses through it and not materially retard its progress.

In weighing different kinds of grain the weights of the meter are so setas to accommodate each kind by moving weight d2 from hole to hole of itslever and by sliding weight B2 along on the weigh-beam. For example,should oats be the grain being weighed the weight d2 will be suspendedfrom the third hole from the outer end of its lever, as shown in Fig. l,and in such position we will presume that it will require fifteen poundsweight of grain in the receptacle to cause the latch Z Z to overcome andrise and pass lever-arm d'. In such instance the weight 132 will bemoved out on the weigh-beam to a scale indicating seventeen pounds,which, together with the former fifteen pounds resistance, will holdtheweigh-beamlatch from moving higher than the lever-arm d until abushel of oats (thirtytwo pounds) has been deposited in the receptacle,when both weights will be overbalanced and the receptacle will lower todischarge its load, and the instant the weigh-beam latch is releasedthere will remain but the seventeen pounds resistance to prevent thereceptacle t'rom lo\vering with its load, which will permit it to lowerwith considerable force to operate the machine-doors, as described, andwhen its load is discharged the receptacle will be overbalanced by theseventeen pounds of the weigh beam weight, as scaled, which will causethe receptacle to reverse movement with equal force.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and useful,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

I. In the herein-described grain-meter, the combination, with the frame,of the pivotallysupported weigh-beam, the weighing-receptacle suspendedfrom said weighbeam, the spring-latch fixed to the outer end of theweigh-beam, the weight-lever and latch-arm thereof pivotally attachedadjacent said spring-latch, and the lever and weigh-beam weights,substantially as and for the purpose Set forth.

2. In the herein-described grain-meter, the combination, with the frame,of the hopper fixed in the upper part of said frame and provided wit-hdownwardly-opening doors having side extending arms, theweighing-receptacle likewise provided with downwardlyopening doorshaving side extending arms, the forked weigh-beam for pivotallysupporting said receptacle, the toggles for connecti ing saidreceptacle-door arms with fixed studs or eyes of the receptacle, thestationary wheels for actuating said toggles and arms, the rods forconnecting the arms of the hopper-doors with the receptacle, and thegravity-latches for retaining said arms, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

3. In the herein-described grain-meter, the combination, with thevertically movable wei ghin g-recept-acle, of the downwardly-openingdoors hinged thereto and provided with actuating-arms extendingtherefrom, the toggles arranged connecting said arms with the receptaclesides, and the stationary wheels arranged to be engaged by said togglesand arms to open and close the said doors when the receptacle lowers andrises, substantially as set forth.

4. In the meter described, the combination, with the receptacle D, ofthe doors D, hinged thereto and provided with side arms extendingtherefrom, the toggles T, arranged connecting said arms with thereceptacle sides, the stationary wheels adapted to operate said arms andtoggles by engagement therewith during the movement of the receptaclefor operating said receptacle-doors, and the crossrods T', arranged tobe engaged by said toggles to insure positiveness in straightening saidtoggles to hold said doors locked, substantially as described and setforth.

5. In the herein-described grain-meter, the combination, with theweigh-beam, of the spring-latch attached to the end thereof, theshouldered weight-lever fulcrumed at one side of said beam and providedwith the extending latch-arm in the path of said spring-latch andadapted to be engaged. by said latch when the weigh-beam is moved up ordown, and the lever and weigh-beam weights, wherein said latch mechanismand weight-lever assist in IOO holding down the Weigh-beam and releaseit.,` when the receptacle of the meter has becomef charged with a propermeasure of grain, substantially as and -for the purpose Specified.

G. A grain-Weighing machine consisting of the combination, with a frame,of a grain-re .ceiving hopper having downWardly-opening` doors in itsbottom portion actuated by means i of extending arms, a grain-Weighingreceptacle having side extending arms and suspended from the forked endof a pivoted Weigh-beam@ below said hopper and also provided with?downwardly-opening doors in its bottom actuated by means of extendingarms, a pair of j toggles arranged connecting said arms Withi thereceptacle, a pair of stationary Wheelsj adapted to be engaged by saidtoggles and i arms to open and close said receptacle-doors, g a pair ofrods arranged connecting the recep-y tacle with the arms of thehopper-doors forg operating said doors, a pair of gravity-latchesarranged to hold said doors closed duringthe time grain is beingdischarged from the re-y ceptacle and releasing said doors to permitthem to open thereafter, the Weight-latch provided with the spring-latchat its free end,

; the supplemental Weight-lever having a latcharm adapted to be engagedby said springlatch to assist in retaining the Weigh-beam, and thecompound Weights, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In the herein-described grain-meter, the combination, with theWeigh-beam, of the spring-latch attached to the end portion thereof, thesupplemental shouldered Weight-lever fulcrumed adjacent said latch andprovided with a horizontally-extending latch-arm arranged in the path ofsaid latch, and the supplemental adjustable weight of said lever,Substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

MCCLELLAN COVAN. JAMES G. RAGAINS. Witnesses:

NV. B. HOGIN, F. H. Poolen.

